


Kaiju Blue

by RainIsMyFavouriteColour



Category: Free!
Genre: AU, Action, Adventure, Aged up characters, Alternate Universe - Pacific Rim Fusion, Angst, Drama, F/M, Feels, Jaegers (Pacific Rim), Kaiju (Pacific Rim), M/M, More Relationships to be added, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pacific Rim AU, Probably feels, Rating May Change, Slow Build, The Drift (Pacific Rim), Warnings May Change, more characters to be added (in order of appearance), um
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-07
Updated: 2015-07-14
Packaged: 2018-04-08 04:07:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4290219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RainIsMyFavouriteColour/pseuds/RainIsMyFavouriteColour
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Humanity is doomed, or so it seems, when so-called Kaiju appear on Earth. A hero rises, part human, part machine, to save it - the Jaeger.</p><p>Rin is a celebrated young hero, co-piloting the 'Olympian' with Sousuke, his best friend and fellow ranger. They are fulfilling their dream by helping humanity fight. However, this comes to an abrupt end when they go up against a Kaiju of a higher calibre than what they know. Now partner-less, Rin drifts aimlessly until the head of the Australian Shatterdome sends him back home. There, the past he thought he had left behind, catches up with him and unexpectedly helps him build a future - one that still needs saving, if any of them want to survive the world’s end.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chasing Dreams

_‘Kaiju Blue is the term coined by scientists to refer to Kaiju blood. It is highly toxic to any living organism on Earth.’ - Science Today_

* * *

 

“Your combat abilities are excellent and you’ve taught our cadets invaluable skills, but you are first and foremost a Ranger. A Ranger is there to fight, and for that you need a partner. You know better than I do that none of our cadets match with you.” Mr Russell explains. “I’m sorry, but we can’t keep you here any longer.”

“What?”

Rin feels numb, his Marshal’s words reverberating dully inside his head. He can’t believe it. He’s worked so hard, because contrary to popular belief it’s not just talent that has propelled him to where he is now. He has trained until he is exhausted, mastering every combat move and using the simulator as often as he could until his score is near perfect every single time. It has served him well whenever he fights against the real thing, and in between the attacks he dedicates himself to more training. He eliminated every threat...

But he still isn’t good enough.

 “Mr Matsuoka?” his superior’s voice calls. He snaps out of it, standing up abruptly. Mr Russell follows his move, looking at him scrutinisingly. Rin leans forward, hands braced on the desk between them.

“Please, give me one more chance! I’ve worked too hard and come too far for me to give up now!” he pleads, trying not to sound too desperate and failing. _Please, this can’t be it…. not now, not yet._ Mr Russell hesitates slightly, but it’s enough for Rin to plow ahead. “I beg you, I’ll do anything.” The Marshal’s face falls and he slumps down into his chair. He rubs his face tiredly, his expression showing regret. The two have grown close during the time Rin has spent at the Australian Shatterdome. The younger realises he isn’t doing this out of spite and feels a slight twinge of regret for pressing the man so hard. But this is his dream. He can’t let this go, ever.

“Mr Matsuoka, we simply can’t afford to keep you here. You’ve proven your worth, time and time again, but ever since Mr Yamazaki…”

Rin flinches visibly at the mention of his best friend and co-pilot. They enrolled for the Jaeger program together, both wanting to go abroad. They knew each other as children, losing contact during their middle school years when Sosuke moved away, but then meeting each other again in high school. They had both changed, for better or for worse, but their common goal of becoming Jaeger pilots had united them and bound them more tightly together than their shared childhood could. They had enrolled in the Australian program as soon as they had finished high school, working night and day until their skills were unmatched in their whole rotation. It was lucky they were compatible with each other in both combat and the Drift, since no one else was. Within their first six months, they had been good enough to catch the attention of the higher ups and been promoted to full Ranger status. They had been ecstatic. Their dream had come true, they were helping defend their world from one of the greatest threats to humanity.  But a dream is still a dream and it has shattered in one of the most horrible ways it could have. And now, nearly a year after it has happened, Rin is alone.

Mr Russell, seeing the emotions play on the pilot’s face, makes a thoughtful sound. He is aware of all the hard work Rin has put into becoming a Ranger and knows his current situation is unfair as well as not completely the young man’s fault. He clears his throat. “There may be a way. There’s no guarantee, mind you. You’ll have to keep trying and work hard.”

Rin’s head snaps up, eyes wide with hope. “What is it?”

The Marshal reaches under his desk and pulls out a drawer. A file lands in front of Rin, the folder plain brown and made of thick paper. Sitting back down, Rin takes the file and opens it curiously. His eyebrows shoot up as he skims the documents inside. “A transfer?”

“To the Japanese Shatterdome.” Mr Russell confirms, leaning back into his chair, arms on his armrests as he observes Rin’s reaction. “You explained to me once that you thought your incompatibility may come from cultural differences. I’m inclined to believe you, from what I’ve seen from your interaction in the Kwoon Room. But,” and here he pauses, catching Rin’s attention. His superior holds his gaze as he continues, “that isn’t the only reason. You are so focused on what you want, you don’t consider other people in your decisions, be they in combat or other things.” Rin opens his mouth in protest, but Mr Russell cuts him off. “Mr Yamazaki (Rin manages to stop himself from flinching) knew you very well. Already before Drifting together, you two seemed to be able to read each other like the backs of your hands. You didn’t need to consider his wants because you knew them as well as your own and adopted them as such, and vice versa. You never consciously had to hold yourself back in your actions or the mind meld, you never had to think about someone else’s wishes. This is what is causing your current problems.”

Rin swallows, his angry retort dying down as he realises the truth in his superior’s words. It hurts.

“But how will transferring help me?” he asks instead. He taps the file in front of him. “It won’t do anything about my methods.”

“Ah, see, I believe it will. Here, you worked harder than anyone else, just to get to everyone else’s level, no, better, and even now you continue to do so. ‘Bridging the cultural differences’ as best as you can, you told me. That determination is what made you stand out from the rest, not your skills. Though they are still admirable.” he quickly adds. “But because you solely concentrated on the skills needed to be a Pilot, your, ah, social skills, for lack of better term, were neglected. Your consideration of others or lack thereof heavily impacts on your Drift compatibility.”

 _But my Drift compatibility is 87%!_ Rin wants to yell, but he holds himself back. _That was with Sousuke…_ He has only tested his Drift compatibility once, ever since it has happened. The result was crushing and Rin tried to forget it, stubbornly clinging onto his previous score. Rin looks down at the open folder, leaning back and crossing arms in front of his chest. “So what do you mean? I go back to Japan and stop working on combat? Didn’t you say I need to continue to work hard?”

“I did. But while your dedication to the physical side of being a Jaeger is inspiring, the lack of cultural differences may help you concentrate harder on your compatibility scores.” The Marshal fixed him with an intense gaze. “Do you understand what I’m saying? You must work as hard on your compatibility skills as you did on your combat, like when you first got here. This is your last chance. Humanity needs Rangers who can _fight_. And if you can’t do that…”

Mr Russell’s words drift off, but the meaning isn’t lost on the redhead.

_My last chance… I won’t let you down, father. I can’t. Not again._

Rin meet his superior’s eyes, hoping his fear and sudden insecurity didn’t show. Taking a deep breath through his nose, he nods. “I understand.”

***

Ai makes himself as small as possible as he tries to find a place in the mess hall to sit, holding onto his lunch tray tightly. After a good 5 minutes of searching, he finally spots a small table, wedged into the far corner, but still visible enough to be seen when one knows what to look for. Determinedly, his eyes on his prize, he slowly walks over, mindful of the soup on his tray. Sighing in relief at getting there safely, Ai sets down the tray on the table, about to sit down himself, when he is unexpectedly bumped into from behind. Losing his balance, he expects a pang of pain and laughter to join the loud chatter surrounding him. He is pleasantly surprised when neither happens. His arm is held in a tight grip and he is still standing on two feet. He hears an exasperated sigh and cautiously opens his eyes. Then he smiles, relieved.

“Kou! What are you doing here? Don't you have a combat lesson right now?”

Gou blows a strand of red hair out of her eyes in irritation, letting go of Ai's arm once he looks stable. They both sit down, Gou setting down her own lunch. He immediately digs in, Gou watching critically as she picks up her chopsticks. “You've got to start looking after yourself,” she comments, delicately picking up a piece of vegetable. “Did you forget to eat again?”

Ai goes a bit pink but doesn't stop chewing his huge mouthful. He nods a bit shamefully. “Sorry,” he says after swallowing. “I was a bit busy, you know, training.”

“You always are,” Gou sighs, not without sympathy and slightly worried. She admires her friend’s determination, but at time she wonders if his health can keep up.

Now Ai feels even worse but before he can say something, she continues,” And no, Akamata-sensei cut it short. She's been asked to handle a transfer. From Australia. I had to ask of course, when I heard that. Guess who it is!” Her tone picks up in excitement and speed toward the end, her eyes sparkling and leaning forward, her lunch forgotten. Ai takes a smaller bite, chewing thoughtfully, but comes up blank. Why is she so excited about Australia? He shakes his head.

“No idea.”

Gou clicks her tongue.

“It's my brother! You know, the one I told you about?” she says with an expectant look on her face.

His eyes widen in recognition. True, Gou doesn’t talk about her family much, but he does seem to recall her mention a brother once or twice. “He's in Australia? You never said.”

“Oh, I didn't? Sorry about that. Anyway, he was abroad for a really long time and he's coming back home. Here!” she nearly squeals and Ai can’t help but laugh.

“That's great! Do you know when?”

“Well, Akamata-san said within the week, so no exact date. But I'm just so happy to see him again!” Then her expression grows thoughtful. “I used to have a lot of issues with him.” She pauses, her eyebrows drawing together. “You know, he stopped writing suddenly! One day we got his monthly letters and the next, nothing. Zero.” She huffs, sitting back and her arms crossed. “Come to think of it, I don't want to see him. Nii-chan’s a total jerk.”

“Umm, I'm sure he has his reasons.” Ai fumbles around for what to say. He doesn’t know why he is trying to defend a man he has never met, but obviously Gou cares a lot for him. Her expression doesn’t change except maybe that her lips press together even more tightly.

Rescue comes in the shape and form of an orange-haired whirlwind called Momotarou. The excitable ball of energy throws himself into the seat beside Ai and opposite Gou, already chattering away.

“Nitori-kun! What's up? Long time no see! How's your rotation treating you?” he asks enthusiastically, glancing sideways and noticing Gou for the first time. Her face has become carefully neutral. To the untrained eye her stance still looks relaxed, but Ai has had enough training to see how her muscles are tensed, ready to flee.

Momo doesn’t notice. Instead, he turns his full attention to her.

“Gou! How are you on this sunny day? Metaphorically speaking, of course, since we don't actually see much of the sky in here, but -”

“It’s Kou! And I'm fine, thank you.” she cuts him off, inclining her head towards Ai. “But maybe you should ask your best friend that.”

Momo whips his head around so fast, Ai winces. Gou smirks a little. “Did something happen? Are you okay? Did you get beat up again? Tell me who it is this time, let me at ‘em!”

Ai's eyebrows twitch at that, but he forces himself to smile. “Everything is just fine. Really.” he adds for good measure, when both of his friends look sceptical. Gou doesn’t seem to buy it but Momo is grinning again.

“Okay, if you say so. Hey, guess what, guess which legend is coming here, to our base! Come on, come on!” Momo urges, leaving no room to reply. But Ai is already starting to get a feeling of dread in his stomach, amplified by the look of dark foreboding on Gou's face. “Aw, you're no fun, guys! It's Matsuoka, Matsuoka Rin! You know, _just_ the _legend_ who co-piloted the _Olympian_ and took down that giant category 3 a year ago?”

The constant chatter filling the mess room is still as loud as ever, but to Ai it seems like their table has been encased in bubble of cold silence. Gou’s face has turned to stone and Ai feels as if he is completely frozen. The _Olympian_ … this is the first piece of news he has heard of her in a year. His knuckles go white with how tightly he’s gripping his chopsticks.

Once again, Momo doesn’t notice anything, the excitement still clear on his face.

“I'll be leaving.” Gou says stiffly, breaking the silence. “There's something I need to talk to Akamata-san about anyway.” Then she stands up and marches away with her nearly untouched lunch. Momo's jaw drops.

“No! Why? Was it something I said?” he wails, flailing his arms wildly. He only stops after nearly smacking Ai in the face. Momo turns his mournful eyes on him. “What did I do this time?”

“That Pilot you mentioned,” Ai started, pressing the words out between his teeth. “Matsuoka-san, he’s her brother.” He looks down at his half eaten lunch, his appetite gone.

“ _He’s_ her _brother_?!”

“Yes.” Ai confirms, putting down his chopsticks. He misses the way Momo’s face is shadowed in concern for him. It’s gone as soon as Ai looks up at him again. “She didn’t say much, only that they have a few issues.”

“Huh.” Momo looks back at the direction Gou disappeared in. “I guess I should have known.”

“You couldn’t have. Matsuoka isn’t all that widespread as surname but it isn’t that uncommon either.” Ai smiles in reassurance but then frowns slightly. “How do you know he’s coming anyway? Gou only knows because she asked her teacher after she announced why they had no classes.”

“Of course I knew he was coming,” Momo says a bit pompously. “Also, I may have pestered Hazuki-san when I overheard her talking to Akamata-san.” Here he leans in closer and whispers conspirationally, “He’s coming here to find a new co-pilot. Rumour’s he couldn’t Drift with anyone over there, but I bet his skill level was just way above them, you know. Gotta get that title of legend from somewhere.” Momo sits back again, crossing his arms behind his head. “Man, I wish I’d applied for the cadets like you, Nitori-kun. I might’ve had a chance to fight with him. As it is, he’ll probably choose the cream of the crop. Maybe I can even get Nii-chan to talk to him for me. “ Then he brightens. “I still get to fit him to his new Jaeger though. Ooh, don’t tell anyone I said that. It’s supposed to be secret.”

Momo makes a dramatic shushing gesture and Ai can’t help but laugh.

“Why would that be a secret? It’s common knowledge that the _Olympian_ was destroyed in her last battle and there aren’t really a lot of excess Jaegers lying around, are they?” he pauses, looking at Momo’s untouched lunch tray. “Momo-kun, shouldn’t you be eating? You know how you get when you’re hungry.”

“Nah, I don’t really have that much appetite. ‘sides, I need to keep myself in shape, I don’t train all day like you do.” Momo waves his concern away, picking up his tray when Ai makes to leave the table. They start toward the exit and Ai laughs again in disbelief. “You, not hungry? Come on now, what’s going on?”

 “Ah, it’s lovesickness, I tell you! I know Gou loves me, but if only she could admit it…”

They put their trays on the trolleys provided and leave the hall, Momo still talking about his crush on Gou. Later, alone in his room, Ai pulls out his old, threadbare backpack from underneath his bed and reaches inside, searching. An old a bunch of old magazines and an action figurine of a Jaeger emerge, the colour rubbed off in many places from extensive use, but still recognisable. He looks at the handful of posters on the walls, none of the _Olympian_ , and decides in a burst of energy to put up the rest of them, neatly folded inside the magazines. Soon, almost none of the wall’s original colour can be seen; they’re all covered in posters of the Ai’s once-hero. Looking back down on his bed, he sees the abandoned figurine and magazines. Taking the figurine, he sets it on his tiny nightstand with a smile and decides to look through the magazines before going to bed, something he hasn’t done in nearly a year. Lying down, Ai looks around the small room in contentment; he hasn’t felt this peaceful in a while. Then he opens up the magazine on top of the stack, immersing himself in past victories of the Jaeger. Just before he turns the lights out, he suddenly remembers that his friend never answered his question.

***

 

“ **A new transfer, huh? What do you think, will the newbie want to co-pilot with a lowly peasant like me?** ”

“ **Mikoshiba-san, we’re trying to run a test simulation here.** ” Haru replies monotonously.

“ **Ah, what Haru is trying to say is, of course! Anyone would want to get the chance to co-pilot the _Lioness_ with you.** ” Makoto covers quickly. Haru doesn’t even look in his direction, but Makoto can feel his irritation ( _That’s most certainly_ not _what I was saying._ At all). “ **Who is this transfer again?** ”

“ **Maybe you know him, actually, his file says he was born close to the same town you two are from –** ”

“ **Seijurou, I know you’re bored, but some of us have jobs to do.** ” Kisumi’s voice cuts him off, sounding uncharacteristically irritated. A bit of grumbling and crackling can be heard as Seijurou presumably takes off his headset. “ **Besides, don’t you already have a co-pilot?** ” A short pause. “ **Yeah, yeah, calm down, you big baby. You can stay, but only if you don’t make any noise.** ” A bit more rustling before the LOCCENT officer continues, “ **Okay, guys, you set?** ”

“ **Ready**.”

“ **Yes**.”

“ **Alright then, initiating Drift in 3, 2, 1** –”

Haru and Makoto go through the familiar sensation of the mind meld, their memories, personalities and emotions overlapping. This has never been the hard part of their partnership; it comes with knowing someone so well for so long, that melding like this is like attaching a part of yourself physically that you have always been aware you had. They breeze past their common memories and familiar sensations easily, purposefully avoiding that which holds both passion and fear. It is the one thing they can never agree on, so they locked it away and threw out the key, effectively shutting down the one memory that can, and once has, become a R.A.B.I.T.

“ **Perfect as always, guys. Moving on to the Neural Handshake. Initiating in 3, 2, 1 –** ”

The vast nothingness has become familiar to them after so long, but as always, Makoto is unable to let go of that small shred of panic that rises up at the sensation and, as always, it’s soothed and whisked out by Haru’s immeasurable calm. Together, they step forward into the darkness, the ground of the bridge firm under their feet but invisible. It seems like forever and, at the same time, moments later when they take their last step and their world lights up. Light travels through their feet up their bodies, connecting them to their Jaeger and each other, making them one great, robotic organism, part human, part machine.

The _Dolphin Tail_ comes to life, her fists balling up and right arm pulling back before punching the air in front of her. Seijurou whistles. “That Jaeger is a beauty. I know I’ve seen her plenty of times, but still. Wow. Ah, but I like my _Lioness_ the best. She’s irreplaceable, the love of my life.”

“Maybe you should go check up on her.” Kisumi murmurs, pressing buttons and levers to finish the routine control tests. “Go talk to Hazuki-san, see if she knows any more about the new guy.”

“You know, I was kidding when I said ‘newbie’ before. You do know who he is, right?”

Kisumi rolls his eyes in response. “Of course I do. Okay, no more talking now.” He adjusts his mic, leaning forward slightly. “All set here, signals are displayed, everything is good to go.”

“ **Understood. Start the Sim.** ”

Realising that is as much as Seijurou will get out of Kisumi, he quietly leaves. No sense in sitting around when he has training to do. Maybe he’ll go bother Miho after she is done with her paperwork.

***

The Japanese Shatterdome is abuzz with anticipation. The last Kaiju attack, which has lost the Dome two good Jaeger and four pilots, was over four months ago. The time that has passed since then has been made as much use of as possible. Their active pilots train every day, the Jaeger that could be salvaged has been repaired and improved, and now, they are getting a pilot with a reputation to be amazing at what he did. But if the rumours are true, Makoto worries that his appearance at their Dome won’t help. After all, a pilot who can’t Drift is a useless pilot. On top of the expectations for the transferee, the unusually long time lapse between the last Kaiju attack and the next one is making everyone nervous. The war has been going on long enough that Kaiju are expected to appear regularly. _Any day now_ , are the first words that pop into Makoto’s head when he first wakes every morning. _Today the Kaiju attacks_.

Today has been no different, but for some reason he hasn’t been able to shake the feeling off completely during the day. Makoto usually makes sure to shield his feelings and thoughts from Haru, but he can tell from the worry and unease that Haru has been projecting since this morning, that Makoto’s mental shield is weaker than usual.

So after the simulation, during which Haru appears his normal stoic self except to his best friend, they walk toward the Kwoon room and Makoto tries to dispel Haru’s worry by talking. _Funny, usually it’s Haru who does the calming_.

“Who do you think Seijurou was talking about earlier?” he asks casually, glancing to the side. Haru shrugs. Usually their Marshal tells them when something happens which will affect their teamwork in the future. Yet, they haven’t been told anything. They know that the only reason Seijurou knows, is because his partner has been asked to handle the transfer. And goodness knows how Kisumi found out; the man was known as a bit of a gossip.

“No idea.” Haru says carelessly, walking around the corner, Makoto following him closely. He can’t see his face, but Haru isn’t being very careful with his mental shield today either; a slight twinge of…something tells Makoto that he knows more, or at least suspected, than he was telling.

“Come on, what are you thinking?” Makoto cajoles his friend. Haru says nothing. He stops walking in front of a heavy iron door and slides it open to reveal a fairly big space laid out with training mats. The walls are lined with Kwoon sticks. Haru grabs two, tossing one to Makoto; he is still patiently waiting for an answer, used to his friend’s silent attitude.

Haru slides into his default stance, expecting the same from Makoto. He sighs when all he gets is an expectant look and reluctantly straightens up. “You heard what he said? About us knowing him? And joking when he called him ‘newbie’?”

“Of course. I can’t come up with any names though. But you know something.” Makoto holds Haru’s gaze. That sense of nervousness from before… it’s uncharacteristic of him. This has to be important. “What’s bothering you?”

Haru doesn’t look away as he is prone to do when confronted with something that makes him uncomfortable. If anyone else had asked, he would have just ignored them. But this is Makoto, his best friend and partner. He owes him, more than he knows.

“It…could be Rin.” Haru finally says. He knows it’s a long shot, but… “It was a long time ago, but don’t you think it’s possible?”

Makoto doesn’t look as shocked as Haru had thought he would be. If anything, he looks thoughtful. And then he smiles.

“Rin, huh? Wouldn’t that be something?”


	2. Sky Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nitori's story
> 
> EDIT: Chapter under construction because I just realised I made Nitori a fricking Mary Sue, ugh. Sorry.

Seagull chirps and the smell of salt filled the air. Waves hollowly sloshed against boat walls and the occasional laugh could be heard from passerbys as they walked along the harbour.

A boy was listening attentively to his father telling him about the boat they stood in front of.

“…and that’s how the _Chiyoko_ got her name.” he concluded fondly, tapping it where the name was emblazoned on its side. The boy looked at the boat in awe.

“Eiji, are you telling Ai stories again?” a woman asked, emerging from the inside of the boat. She smiled at her husband and son, laughing when her son threw himself at her. He was a bit too old for such a show of affection, but that that moment, he didn’t care. Ai looked up and grinned. “Dad was telling me about-”

A bloodcurdling scream pierced the air, causing the small family to freeze and turn in its direction. Everything seemed to slow down and still; even the ocean's rhythmic rushing of water seemed to dwindle down into silence.

A gigantic monster rose from the ocean. It turned and fixated on the crowd of people surrounding the water, bursting into action as it sped towards them. The harbour went up in chaos, people screaming and running everywhere.

“Ai, Chiyo, _run_!” Ai’s father shouted, pushing both Ai and his wife toward the mainland. His mother grabbed his hand and ran, his father close behind him. There were several crashes and more screams. Ai turned his head to look but he was dragged and pushed forward by his mother and his father’s hand on his back.

Then Ai’s feet weren’t on the ground anymore, his parents were ripped from him. He was upside down, flying through the air. He screamed, drowned out by the monster’s piercing roar. Ai searched for his parents in panic, but he didn’t see them. What he did see was the destroyed harbour, flying debris and the monster.

Pain exploded at the back of his head and in his ears before everything went black.

***

When Ai woke up, the world was unnaturally silent, ashes raining down on the destroyed city like snow. He wandered around in a dream-like daze, the remains of the harbour and streets soundlessly crunching underneath his feet. The boats were gone too, just like his parents. He tried to call out for them a few times but his voice didn’t make a sound. Ai was crying, his chest was heaving. His whole head throbbed, panic surfacing beneath the shock.

He didn’t hear the creeping terror behind him, didn’t hear its long, reptilian-like tongue shoot out toward him. One moment he was upright and the next, he was being dragged along the broken concrete, screaming. _No one can hear me_ , he realised _, I’m going to die_. He closed his eyes, expecting pain, blood and darkness.

Without warning, Ai’s ankle was released and he opened his eyes wide in surprise.

A shiny giant was fighting the nameless monster, shooting it with huge rockets and swinging its blade. The monster was thrashing wildly, howling silently each time a blow landed. The giant was winning. Then, the monster drew one of its arms back. Ai yelled out a warning, but the giant had already been struck. A long, jagged piece of metal flew towards him. A sharp pain bloomed in his side as it pierced his body and he yelled out, his voice still silent.

 _I can’t hear_.

Ai looked up, seeing the giant triumphantly standing over the monster’s still body. The setting sun coloured the sky behind the giant, giving it a gold and blood red halo. Ai’s vision went black.

***

A shrill alarm wakes Ai up and his eyes open blearily. Disorientated, he sits up and rubs his face. He hasn't dreamt of that day in a long time. Grumbling and rustling of cloth can be heard around the narrow room lined with even narrower bunk beds. His bunkmate lands on the floor with a thump.

“Up you get, sunshine.” he calls gruffly, ducking his head to look at Ai. “The Wall ain't gonna build itself.”

Ai closes his eyes for a moment, savouring the warmth of the thin blanket, before throwing it off abruptly and getting up. A hard piece of bread is tossed his way which he gratefully accepts with a smile. “Thanks, Mori.”

Mori nods once and they both proceed toward the exit, along with everyone else, yawns and shuffling all around them. No more words are exchanged as everyone grabs a canteen full of lukewarm, thin broth and a ladle of water on their way out.

Ai barely notices the cold outside anymore, he doesn't even shiver compared to some of the new workers,who don't have enough experience to know it won't get better. Everyone complains at the Wall but one can easily tell by what their complaints are about who is new and who knows their way around.

Their day starts by their boss announcing a few new spots at the top of the wall and Ai can't suppress a small noise of distress.

Workers fall to their deaths nearly daily up there but the repetition doesn't make it any easier to hear. The spots are quickly filled; despite the top being the most dangerous place to work, they're highly coveted since the pay is better, if only marginally.

Once the matter's been settled, everyone is dismissed. Ai looks up at the grey sky, the same colour as every day. He wonders if it will snow soon and hopes it doesn't. He gets to work.

***

When Ai woke up again, he didn't know where he was. He was lying on his back and staring at a plain white ceiling, a barely audible beeping in the background. The walls were just as white and there were two light curtains, one drawn over a window. The sunlight still filtered weakly through the cloth while the other window let the sunshine paint a strip of light on the linoleum floor. There was an empty table and two chairs below the windows. An empty bed, as colourless as the rest of the room, stood on Ai's right. Between the bed and him stood a strange looking night table, a cup on top. Noticing how thirsty he was, Ai tried to move and felt a prick of pain in his arm. Looking down, he saw a needle attached to a thin tube, leading up to a plastic bag filled with clear liquid which was hung on a stand. Next to it, there was a black monitor with coloured lines and numbers displayed on it, the lines periodically moving up and down. The lines increased in frequency, just like the quiet beeping. He saw sudden movement from the side of his room and quickly turned his head in panic.

It was a woman wearing a long white coat, her arms spread in a peaceful gesture and holding a clipboard in one hand. _A doctor_ , it hit Ai. Something frozen slid down his spine. _I'm in a hospital_.

“...hear me? ...know... you are?” the woman said slowly. Ai stared at her mouth in confusion. It was moving but he could only hear her as if her voice was coming from a badly tuned radio station.

“What?” Ai could barely hear his own voice, but he could feel how scratchy it was. _Why can't I hear?_

He must have said that out loud because the doctor frowned and said something unintelligible to someone behind her. Ai only noticed now that there was a man standing behind her, nodding as he wrote down something on his own clipboard. He was wearing a loose white uniform consisting of a baggy shirt and pants. _A nurse_ , Ai decided. Then he wondered why he felt so calm. Maybe he was tired; he could barely keep his eyes open and his whole body felt heavy. His head was buzzing. He could dully hear the two people in the room talking about something but didn't understand the words. Closing his eyes, he drifted back to sleep.

***

It's the end of another cold day filled with hard work. Mori and Ai are pushed into the mess hall with everyone else, expecting it to be warmer inside and hoping for a decent meal. They show the guards their flimsy plastic cards which are scanned to tally their days' work. They each get a letter stamped onto their hands and the two move on after the guard calls “Next!”

They line up at the end of the already sizeable queue, show their hands and get their corresponding meal. Mori and Ai have barely squeezed themselves onto an overfilled bench and narrow table, when the speakers and numerous old TV screens on the walls come to life, announcing the daily news.

“Another Kaiju attack has left Australia reeling. The Kaiju, dubbed 'Charybdis' and the biggest category 3 to date, broke through the Wall and attacked Sydney. It managed to destroy a good two thirds of the city before it was taken out by the 'Olympian' and 'Neptune'. Casualties are numerous but there are no official numbers yet. The Rangers piloting the Jaeger suffered their own losses: both Jaeger were completely destroyed. At this point it is unknown if any of the pilots survived. More details later once they are released.” The news reporter's voice dies down with a crackle. Ai is stiff. Mori begins to eat.

“Broke through the Wall like nothin'.” he grumbles. “Makes ya wonder what we're doin' this for.”

“They're supposed to keep us safe. They do their part and we do ours.” Ai says, knuckles white as he grips the table tightly. The 'Olympian' is supposed to be invulnerable, her pilots heroes. The Jaeger are supposed to be humanity's saviour. They _have_ been his saviour, more than once. His faith in the Jaeger is what keeps him going when he feels his life and his work is pointless. But lately, more and more keep dying, even if they manage to defeat every single Kaiju. There are too many of them and not enough Jaeger. And now, the 'Olympian' has been destroyed.

“Nitori?”

At the concerned tone, Ai looks up. Mori is looking at him strangely; the boy he knows is full of smiles and positive energy. “What's wrong?”

Ai doesn't know what to say. The Jaegers are failing? The Kaiju are attacking more and more often? Even more people are dying? The world is coming to an end? So he smiles and forces himself to take a bite, even though he's not hungry anymore. “Nothing.”

That smile doesn't fool Mori. He's seen that shadow in his friend's bright eyes enough times to know when he's hiding something. Mori has the bad feeling that something bad (even worse than the daily news) is about to happen.

***

After the Kaiju attacked the city, Ai had been one of the only survivors. Found amidst the ruins of buildings, he had been bleeding severely from a head injury and a piece of scrap metal embedded in his left side, unconscious. He was lucky the paramedics had found him when they did; a few more minutes and the blood loss would have killed him. Two helicopters flew Ai and the rest of the survivors to the nearest hospital. Depending on how badly injured they were, they were released only a few days after the attack, weeks or even months.

Ai stayed hospitalised for nearly a year. The ribs on his left were broken and part of his stomach wall punctured. Both his eardrums were ruptured and his right inner ear destroyed. All his injuries healed completely after a couple of months; severe scarring down his left side and a deaf right ear were all that remained. Throughout his entire recovery, Ai remained asleep. Even after he was deemed physically healthy again, he stayed comatose. The doctors couldn't do anything but wait.

When Ai did finally wake up, he found that he was alone in the world. He was stranded in an unknown city, his hometown gone, his parents dead and no live relatives who could have taken care of him. So once he was cleared, Ai was sent to one of the city's orphanages. It was run by a friendly, elderly woman called Tamura-san who, despite her age, was very clear-minded and able-bodied. She reminded Ai of his grandmother before she had died when he was 5. He couldn't remember much about her except her warmth, comforting presence and how she always seemed to smell of lavender. Tamura-san smelled the same.

Ai found it difficult to make friends at first; trauma made him withdrawn, quiet and even shyer than he had been before. He spent most of his first few weeks holed up in his room; it was a small double, but his roommates never spent much time in there or stayed very long. He only came out for lessons or to eat and even then, it was with a lot of persuasion. Ai had nightmares of the day of the attack nearly every night. He would wake, screaming and crying, muffling his sobs in his pillow. He half hoped no one would come during the times the neighbouring bed was empty and half hoped someone would. Soon no one wanted to sleep in his room because of the noise. He scared them.

Tamura-san had a whole orphanage to take care of, but she always seemed to reserve a bit of extra time for the small, frail-looking boy with the sad blue eyes who never smiled. She heard the screaming at night and attempted to calm him using the usual remedies like warm milk with honey. Sometimes it worked, most times it didn't. She hurt for the poor boy, but she was at her wits' end. Nothing seemed to help, nothing until one of her daughter's regular visits.

One of her children, her son, was a teacher there; he, along with two others, home schooled the kids who didn't get adopted. Tamura-san's daughter usually came by once or twice a week and helped her mother out for a few hours. She was an excitable young woman who loved to tell the children stories about the Jaeger. It was during one of her visits, one of the first times Ai came out of his room willingly, that he first heard about them.

The monster which haunted his dreams and the shiny giant who seemed like a mix of angel and knight, Ai learned, were called 'Kaiju' and 'Jaeger'. He sat there with the other children, listening in awe as Tamura Ayako told colourful stories of the Kaiju and the almighty Jaeger.

At the end of it, the young woman noticed him there, surprised, but then smiled. She knew all about him from what her mother and older brother had told her. Even though she'd never seen him before she recognised him right away.

Ai shrank away from her as she came closer after the other children had scattered, chattering excitedly about the stories. Ayako made a pacifying gesture.

“Nii-san tells me you like to read?” she asked gently. He gave a small nod, fringe flopping into his eyes. Ayako rummaged in the bag at her side, Ai's eyes intently following her movement. With a triumphant noise, she produced a battered magazine. The cover proudly presented a picture of a Jaeger, the title 'Jaeger Weekly' printed across the front. Ai stared at it. Ayako held it out to him expectantly. “I know this isn't really classified as literature, but maybe you'll like it.”

After a questioning look at her and a responding nod and smile, Ai took it.

Ayako watched the boy sadly as he looked at every page intently before going to the next. Her brother had told her what had happened to him; he was far from the only child to have lost family through a Kaiju attack, but he was the first the Tamura family had come into contact with. Ai, she had been told, was very quiet, barely talking, but a good student. He seemed to have a love for learning; her brother had caught him more than once staying late in the classrooms to revise what they had learned in class. The only class he talked in was literature and even then it wasn't much. But he sometimes stayed behind, asking a question or two about the current book the class was reading. He gave Ai more books to read which he took silently, only to return it the next week asking for more.

The day Ai received the magazine from Ayako, he slept soundly for the first time since he woke up to his new reality. The same week, Ai returned a book to his teacher. He got a new one in return, which he took with a smile and a “Thank you, sensei.”

***

That night, Ai makes a phone call which ends in tears but leaves him with a good feeling and a smile. Mori is waiting outside the sleeping hall for him.

“What are you going to do, Aiichirou?”

Ai is a bit startled at the use of his first name; his friend never addresses him by it unless something important or bad has happened. He smiles. His teeth glint in the darkness and Mori suddenly has to suppress a shiver. This is a side of Nitori he hasn't seen a lot and it scares him.

“To stop hiding.”

***

It became a routine for Ayako to bring in the Jaeger merchandise she had collected. She let the children play with the figurines and read the magazines. Some of them asked to keep the things and most times she agreed. Ai usually took magazines; every time Ayako came to visit, he smiled at her and she was pleasantly surprised to see how he seemed to open up a bit more to the other children each week. Soon, Ai was able to talk to others and make friends, his sombre face showed emotion and smiles and his laughter was a regular part of the background noise. The quiet boy who screamed in his sleep was replaced by a smiling, shining version who exuded calm and positive energy. He still worked hard on his grades, but he talked more in class now and was usually quite animated. Tamura-san was happy to see him finally starting to adjust. Life hadn’t treated anyone in the orphanage fairly, but there was no reason for the children to be unhappier than they already were. She was glad Ai had discovered his own happiness again.

At some point, Ai started telling the stories with Ayako. They would even act out particularly epic battles and it didn’t take long until those two became the weekly entertainment everyone looked forward to. A year passed like that, then two and soon everyone called Ai ‘big brother Ai’, as Tamura-san had dubbed him, since most of the orphans were younger than him. Around his fourteenth birthday, a new Jaeger appeared called the _Olympian_ , co-piloted by Yamazaki Sousuke and Matsuoka Rin. They were well-known because, despite their young age, they had remarkable talent, rising in the ranks of their Shatterdome within their first year and defeating Kaiju after Kaiju. It was in the part of the world they defended, but for the first time in years it looked like humans were winning. Once, Ayako was allowed to show the children a news clip of one of the fights they were involved in. Ai forced himself to watch; he still had nightmares but by now they were very rare. Besides, he wanted to see the famous Jaeger in action.

He wasn’t disappointed; his eyes were glued to the screen from start to finish. He was even more amazed by the short interview at the end of the battle. The dominant co-pilot, Matsuoka Rin, looked tall but slim, almost a bit too fragile for the bulky suit he was wearing. If anything, Ai would have guessed Yamazaki Sosuke, broad-shouldered, well-built, tall, to be the pilot in charge. It made his admiration for Matsuoka even more palpable; so much, in fact, that he was given a figurine of the _Olympian_ for his birthday a few days later. He didn’t tell anyone, but from then on, he combed through every Jaeger magazine he had ever gotten or new ones he got for posters and articles on the _Olympian_ and her pilots. The Jaeger were already Ai’s heroes, but the _Olympian_ became a shining beacon of hope to him.

Then the third year came around with an event which shook the whole orphanage and Tamura family.

As strong as Tamura-san had appeared, she was still an old woman. Usually her age didn’t show much, but some of the staff had been noticing how she sometimes seemed to have a little more trouble with the stairs, was a little more out of breath, would be a bit more forgetful. Here death was a surprise to everyone. It appeared she had passed in her sleep; one night she had bid everyone a warm good night and in the morning, she wouldn’t come down even though it was far past her usual wake up time. Her son had gone upstairs during breakfast to get her and then come back down, face completely white.

The rest of the day had gone by in a blur. Paramedics came and went. The orphanage became a sombre and quiet place. Official-looking people came to visit, stern-faced, and left. Ai didn’t like them coming; both Ayako and her brother’s faces became tired and stressed every time they did.

One night, Ai couldn’t sleep. He went downstairs to get some water, but stopped when he reached the kitchen. He could hear Ayako and her brother discussing something inside with low voices.

“She wouldn’t want to shut it down! We can’t let them do that! The children have nowhere else to go!” Ayako was saying heatedly. There was a sigh.

“I know, but what can we do? We have no more money to run it. Goodness knows how long mother managed to keep the orphanage going with all those loans. The bank won’t give us anymore until we pay at least half of them back.” he said tiredly.

Ai had heard enough. His stomach felt heavy. He needed to come up with a plan. He couldn’t lose his home, not again. He went to bed, brooding until he fell into a restless sleep.

The next morning, he went to talk to his teacher. He suggested a fundraising event of sorts.

“You heard us talking?” he asked, more surprised than upset. “It really shouldn’t concern you, you’re a child.”

He smiled, obviously meaning it placatingly, but Ai raised his chin.

“The orphanage isn’t just important to you and Ayako-san. It’s our home.” he said simply, but full of conviction. His teacher looked at him in amazement, but then smile turned genuine, if a little doubting.

“What did you have in mind?”

Ai’s idea was to do the acting out Kaiju/Jaeger battles with the whole orphanage and inviting the general public to come watch. They could sell tickets for cheap and even ask for contributions to keep the orphanage open. The staff and Ayako agreed that it might work.

The older orphans were determined to contribute what they could to save their home, even if some would go to university soon; all of them owed what they had achieved to Tamura-san and the staff. The younger ones were excited at the prospect of a play. And so, the whole orphanage went to work preparing the play as fast as they could, writing, rehearsing, making makeshift costumes and scenery.

The play was a success. Nearly every show they performed was sold out completely and they even got quite a few contributions.

Ai was ecstatic. To him, it seemed like maybe they could just manage to keep their home, if Ayako’s beaming smile was anything to go by.

The last night they performed, Ai felt a bit like he had experienced it before. It was late at night, the play long over and he went down to the kitchen to get himself some water. He once again heard talking inside. And then he heard the dreaded words.

“It’s not enough.”

The gears in Ai’s started spinning again when he heard it on the radio a few days later.

The ongoing project of building a wall around the major harbours of the world was being advertised. They weren't doing a very good job of making it sound attractive.

It talked about the cold weather, bad food and even worse working conditions, in exchange for money and protecting humanity, calling themselves ‘Jaegers of the common folk.’ It sounded terrible but it got Ai at the mention of money. Maybe he could earn enough to help pay off the debts. Maybe he could even persuade some of the older children to come with him.

The first time he mentioned it to the teachers, the answer was a resounding ‘no’. The next time followed soon, then the third, fourth, fifth. All the while, it was becoming obvious by the shrinking food portions and cut down use of electricity that money was running out fast.

One of the older orphans, a 17 year old girl called Chigusa, overheard one of Ai’s arguments with Ayako once and came over to talk to him after. She had been one of the most active people helping during the construction of their play and since then they had become close friends.

“You want to go the Wall?” she asked, casually lounging on his once again empty neighbouring bed. Ai was sitting on his own, legs drawn to his chest and brooding. He nodded gloomily.

“If there’s less of us, they might not need so much money. And I can send them what I earn.” Ai huffed. “If only they would let me.”

Chigusa scrutinised at her friend. He was a short boy with a slim build, looking quite feminine and frail; but as everyone knew, Ai was a lot more durable than he looked. Everyone in the orphanage was.

Ai's enduring qualities though, were that he achieved what he set his mind to, he worked hard to get what he wanted and never gave up until he did.

It had been almost four years since he had come here and she had met him. She had seen his transformation from the very beginning, watched from afar as he grew. Chigusa only regretted not having tried to be his friend earlier.

“Wait here.”

Ai looked after her in astonishment as she flitted out of the room. She came back, her hands hidden behind her back. Smiling, she showed him what she was holding.

It was a plain white, unsealed envelope. Ai took it and peered inside, eyes widening as he began to stutter.

“I can’t take this! It’s yours!” he protested, trying to shove it back in her hands. She shook her head, backing away from the envelope.

“Use it to get to the Wall.” Chigusa smiled and laid her head to the side. “Promise me you’ll do what you said you would when you get there.”

Ai could tell from her demeanour that she couldn’t be convinced otherwise and sighed. “You’re not coming with me?”

Chigusa glanced to the side, a bit ashamed.

“I…you know I got that scholarship to X University, right? I’m glad I did. I want to go.” She hung her head in guilt. “I know I should feel awful about not helping the orphanage as much as you, but… I want my chance at life. I want to make something of myself. One day, maybe I can repay the orphanage just a fraction of what it’s given me.”

“Don’t feel guilty. I’m really happy for you.” Ai said, smiling and meaning every word. Chigusa smiled back and laughed a bit at the tears flowing down her cheeks.

“Are you sure about this though? You won’t need it?” he asked, once again waving the envelope at her. She smiled, shaking her head.

“I saved it up. It’s my grandfather’s, he sends me money every year. I’ve been saving it so someday I could use it for something important. The orphanage wouldn’t take it. But, Ai, please do. I know it’s not much, but it will be enough.” Chigusa begged him.

Ai couldn’t suppress his sniffling and he hugged her tightly. “Thank you.”

The next morning, all that was left of Ai’s was a handwritten note on his uncharacteristically made bed.

***

He sees Nitori off the next morning, already missing him, even though he doesn't admit it. He can still recall that small boy from a few years ago and has to blink back tears. Really, he hasn’t changed much. Grown a bit, but still as slight as ever. Maybe a bit more muscle. He clears his throat and gives his friend a rough hug and a gruff, “Don't get yourself killed, ya hear me?”

Ai laughs in response and it almost sounds like a sob. “The world’s ending, didn't you know?”

Mori does. He watches his young friend walk away towards the ocean, the gold and red sunset casting a halo against his silhouette. It's strangely inspiring and the hope that he will see Nitori again someday, turns into certainty.

***

They found the boy outside of their main entrance, a small bag of belongings on his back, wrapped in an old coat and shivering. The guards had half a mind to send him away, but they weren’t completely heartless; the boy wasn’t even wearing gloves. The least they could do was feed him, give him some spare gloves from some poor sod who had recently fallen off the Wall and send him on his way. Once they had sat him down in the empty mess hall, they asked him his name. He smiled brightly, despite the freezing cold he had been subjected to and possibly the other hardships he had endured getting there.

“I’m Nitori, Nitori Aiichirou.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More plot, first meetings and reunions next chapter.

**Author's Note:**

> *The Kaiju Blood definition has been taken from the official pacific rim wiki  
> \---------  
> I'm sorry. I have too many things I want to post and too little time/energy/inspiration to just stick with one at a time. Good news for this one is that I have another couple of chapters pre-written so at least those will be uploaded without too much of a time gap, hopefully.
> 
> The structure may change, but it will be alternating between the actual storyline and the background stories of each character. Next up, (my fave) Nitori.


End file.
